You think in the circle jerk of passionate, loving social media folks, we’d gladly support each other’s work because we all have been through it.

But no. We all bitch that everyone else needs to get off their ass and do the work.

It’s easy to criticize someone’s work when all you see is a handful of tweets, YouTube videos, and Facebook updates because these seem so insignificant. It seems like anyone can just hop on Twitter and start writing a bunch of promotional messages and gathering followers.

What you don’t see is the boatload of emails trying to get a 48 pixel avatar correct with the design team. The messages across the company trying to resolve a customer service issue. The stress of trying to cram a bunch of mandated information into a format that doesn’t support what the communications department is determined cram down your followers’ throats.

You don’t read the 25 page strategy and planning document that someone spent an entire month working on, only to have it rejected by a troll who hasn’t touched the internet.

So get off your high horse and stop complaining that other people don’t do social media work when they don’t tweet/blog/pinterest/Google+/Facebook like you do.

Just because you don’t see their work doesn’t mean they aren’t doing it.

I just finished a 35-page strategy, by the way. And I channel every single customer issue we get through all the different channels our customers are in. Among many other things on my daily schedule. Also, when I get home I continue working on my personal projects.

Yet, in the eyes of both coworkers and people I know, “all I do is sit on Facebook all day. And get paid for it.”

It used to annoy me, now I just laugh and say: “Hell yea. What a job, eh?”

You’re hilarious, Jay! Loved this post. I’ve slowly come to realize that the majority of my family and friends think I talk about LOLcats on Facebook and Twitter all day instead of doing actual work. And even though I’ve explained it to them a dozen times, they still have no clue what I’m talking about. Sigh…